Chapter Twenty One: SOLDIER
...
"So this is the childhood friend I heard about." Sephiroth said astutely. He looked as if the secrets of the world had been revealed to him. Genesis was leaning casually up against the wall with his arms crossed and confirmed the silver-haired General's words with a nod.
"The one and only." Angeal added. "It's funny. About a month ago I would never have considered things to come to this."
"You and me both, Angeal." Genesis agreed.
Zack was warming up in the training room while the four of us talked. He could be seen through the observation window swinging the training sword around in the high tech room. Mog rested on my shoulder once more and seemingly fell asleep. The day wasn't even halfway over and the small creature was already beat. I envied him, being able to fall asleep like that. It was also a wonder how he managed to stay balanced.
"Care to explain why exactly you are wandering outside of your own boundaries?" Genesis asked changing the subject. "I receive a call from Angeal about you parading around in a SOLDIER uniform, and what do I find? Exactly that."
I sighed and shook my head.
"Business, that's why." I answered casually. "After that incident with Lysander, Veld found reason to believe that there could be more people on the inside that are involved. It's possibly tied in with what happened at Nibelheim too. I just happened to be the least recognizable face out there and they decided I was perfect for the job."
"Interesting." Sephiroth observed. "And it just so happens that you are not only acquainted with two top-tiered 1st classes, but also a childhood friend of theirs? Veld has always been known to play a strong hand in the game. He is good." The cold attitude he was displaying earlier was gone and replaced with something remotely like curiosity instead. Finding out that I was a friend of his friends did wonders.
It was really weirding me out to some extent.
"Remind me again why I'm back here and not at the front?" Genesis questioned.
"Because I assigned you a mentee," Sephiroth explained. "I figured that it would do you some good to take a break and turn your focus elsewhere."
"Humph. Is that so?" He questioned pointedly. "I figured that you would stick Angeal with some brat, but myself?"
Genesis shook his head.
"I have to agree with that." Angeal spoke up. "Genesis here doesn't exactly seem to be interested in teaching. But I have to admit, you couldn't have picked a better candidate. At least he would make at least an effort to try and avoid killing her."
"Wow. That's a nice vote of confidence." I snorted.
"Are you saying that you have the inability to train someone with lesser skills?" Sephiroth questioned with a slight smirk. "If that is the case, then it should be easy for me to—"
"That isn't necessary. I am more than capable of taking on a student, even ones with dismal skill." Genesis snipped with an unamused scowl. "As it just so happens, time is being wasted and there is much to do. Let's move, Brat." With a flourish of his red jacket, Genesis walked out the door, not looking back.
There was a slight chuckle and I hesitated for a moment.
"As expected. This might become more amusing than I thought." Sephiroth stated. I quickly looked at him, silently wondering to myself if he had actually, genuinely laughed. I knew that he was a human being still and everything, but I half expected him to have almost zero emotion.
"Never underestimate what he'll do. He might just take everything you say as a challenge and it doesn't help that he already seems to be on a warpath." Angeal commented with a shake of his head. "Something must have set him off before he got here."
"That just proves he's still Genesis though…" I mumbled in response. "I guess that means if I want to remain in one piece, I better get a move on. See you later Angeal. And, um…Nice to formally meet you General Sephiroth?"
Nodding my head at my own uncertainty, I turned my head and walked out the door without looking back. It never occurred to me just what things were supposed to be like before the canon story of the game. Even when I thought about the world I was in—the world of Gaia—it was all rather…normal; ordinary.
That was to say if you ignored the whole ethical ordeal going on with the Shinra Company.
Drawing away from my thoughts, I glanced down both ends of the hallway in time to catch a glimpse of crimson disappearing around one of the corners. Sighing, I broke out into a light jog to catch up with him. Already I was beginning to feel some strain from using the brace. Perhaps it wasn't entirely too wise to run.
Ahead of me, Genesis walked into another training room that seemed to be on the opposite side of the entire floor, far away from where Sephiroth and Angeal were. Tailing in behind him, I saw him approach what looked like a control panel and he began pressing a few of the keys. Behind me the door slid shut. Where we were standing was similar to the last room; an observation room that had a massive window viewing into another space. There were a lot more control panels around, however.
Noticing a couch along the back wall, I moved over to it and steadily lifted the sleeping moogle off of my shoulder. Mog didn't stir at all as I carefully placed him in the corner of the couch before turning my attention back to Genesis. "So…" I tried breaking the silence. "What are we doing?"
Genesis lifted his hands off the keys and without looking at me spoke.
"I thought it was obvious. We're going to run through a few exercises." With a click of a button, a green light flashed and I watched the scenery behind the window change. It looked like the slums on the underside of the plate.
"Whoa." I said in awe. This must have been one of the newest training rooms there was. I had read one of the files on it a few days ago—it was a virtual reality training room. I walked over to the keys and glanced down. There were a lot of words along with them and several meters with varying numbers.
I would have been lying if I said that I had no desire to see what the place was all about.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"Make sure to grab a sword from the locker." Genesis said as he disappeared through the door. Even with his lack of direction, it was easy to spot the unit that was built seamlessly into the wall. Upon opening it, I discovered ten swords all neatly lined up. I picked one at random and then headed for the training room.
Actually entering the room was confusing at first and maybe even a little disorienting; that was the only way I could describe it. One moment I was standing in Shinra headquarters and then a perfect replica of the slums. I was surrounded by rundown buildings and the air was stuffy. Turning around the doorway I had come through was nowhere in sight.
Technology of the likes that Shinra had was far from comprehension.
And I must have been gawking with my mouth open because Genesis cleared his throat. He was standing only a few feet away. I approached him and nodded my head, snapping out of my own trance.
"Shall we begin?" Genesis suggested, raising his blade up to the ready.
I stared back at him blankly. "Hold on, don't you think this is a bit much?"
Genesis' eyes narrowed.
"You should know fully well that this is what you have signed up for. Underestimate something and the fault will be yours." He answered sternly. "Now, be prepared."
Without another warning, Genesis lunged forward, swinging his sword in a small arc. Reacting fast, I held out my own sword and braced for impact. They met with a loud clang and I pushed away with a small huff. My heart jumped when I saw another blow incoming. Not sparing another second, I rolled out of the way and leaped back onto my feet.
Genesis lashed out again, this time with faster strikes. Each one bounced off of my sword which felt progressively heavier. Before I knew it, my arms were shaking. This wasn't the sort of training I had worked on. I was weak with a sword—very, very weak. I noticed Genesis pause, giving me time to think.
I needed to remember to use my resources.
Coming back to my senses, I ducked over to the nearest cover. A massive boom and the sound of splintering wood met my ears as I shuffled further away from where Genesis was; he was using materia. Pressing up against a wood beam, I began listening to his footsteps. The SOLDIER had gone completely silent, but it sounded like he wasn't too far off.
"How do you intend to win a fight if you do not fight back?" Genesis then taunted. I could hear his boots crunching in the dirt; he had turned away and it sounded like he was heading the opposite direction of where I was.
"Trust me, I'm getting to that," I retorted quietly, but not quietly enough. "Shit."
A blast of searing heat pierced through the wood beam I stood behind, whizzing by the top of my helmet. I moved over to a stack of wood pallets and debris. Leaning on my good leg, I took a deep breath. It was then that I realized I should have asked Angeal just what kind of teacher Genesis was.
Judging by Reno's reaction a few days ago, I should have figured it wasn't good.
On the other hand, I didn't exactly expect to end up in this situation.
Something shifted out of the corner of my eye and my back stiffened. The shed I stood by started to move and my eyes widened in surprise. Gripping the sword tightly in my hand I leaped out into the open and away from my cover—a monster. It was a Hell House. Right as I moved to strike, a blur of crimson slashed through the monster—cleaving it in two.
"Did you really believe I was your only opponent here?" Genesis stepped into sight, side stepping the remains of the Hell house as it faded away. "You're not making a good first impression, Brat. Is this all you think it takes to fit into SOLDIER?"
"No," I shot back defensively. "I'm—"
"Then show me." Genesis abruptly cut in.
Steeling myself, I finally slipped into an aggressive stance; the brace felt constricting around my leg and I bit my lip. If I didn't get past Genesis now, then who was to say that I would actually last playing the role of SOLDIER? I tried rationalizing his actions; thinking that maybe in his own way Genesis was actually trying to help me…by trying to murder me.
Not waiting another second, I rushed towards him.
And he smirked.
Before I knew it, he had disappeared out of my sight and I skidded to a stop. A gut feeling told me to turn around, and not a moment too soon. Spinning on my heel, I barely had time to block a crimson blur as Genesis' sword collided with mine. Grunting, I took a step towards Genesis and shoved back his sword. Following through, I took another step forward and swung my sword in a wobbly arc.
Sparks flew off of the metal as it clashed once more. Huffing, I moved again and took a swing at his left arm. The brace around my leg squealed with the pressure and I hesitated for a moment—a poor decision. With a sudden clack, the sword went flying from my hand: I had been disarmed and I was at the opposite end of a crimson blade.
Standing there, I looked at Genesis with a glare.
"Fire!" I spat hastily. Genesis' brow creased and as he sidestepped the fireball, I sent more. Out of precaution, I decided on using a lower grade of the fire spell; if Genesis used magic, then that meant I would as well, but I wasn't going to overdo it. Finally, a gap formed between Genesis and me. In the corner of my vision, I could see the sword that was cast aside. With a burst of adrenaline, I turned from Genesis and made my way towards it.
I had to learn how to use the sword.
While I could rely on my magic on its own, it was no substitute for defense against physical attacks from a weapon such as the sword itself. Even a gun had a better chance of defense.
Genesis wasn't letting me go that easy, however. No sooner had I turned to run, he was right on my tail. Snapping my fingers, I summoned up another slew of fireballs and tried to distract him. Left and right over my shoulders, I casted them and Genesis skillfully swept them away like flies. Reaching out for the hilt of the sword, I yelped in surprise when my wrist was grabbed in a vice grip.
With a single tug I was turned around, but before I could use any more magic, Genesis stopped me. "That is enough." He stated, lowering his weapon.
Releasing my wrist, he sheathed the blade at his side and replaced it with his phone. Clicking a few of the buttons I watched as the background of the slums seemingly digitized into pixels, slowly being chipped away. I watched in fascination as I once again found myself standing in the training room in Shinra's headquarters.
"Perhaps I misjudged." Genesis said, his voice even and smooth; it sounded as if he barely lifted a finger during the fight and his appearance said the same. On the other hand, my heart was beating fast and my arms were shaking. This was what the difference was between a Mako infused SOLDIER and an ordinary person. Sure, I had some of it running through me, but it didn't work the same.
"Why is it that you always put yourself in such situations?" Genesis drew me out of my musings.
I shrugged my shoulders in response. "You know, compared to what you might be thinking, I don't mess everything up." I said with a sigh. "Come on, you could at least give me the benefit of the doubt. I know my swordsmanship is really bad right now, but I can improve fast at least."
"On the contrary, your lack of skills shouldn't be of concern; that is an easy matter to fix." Genesis stated plainly. "Attaining abilities of a passable 3rd class is within the reach of every normal being, but only with dedication."
"Then I don't see a problem. Tseng was pretty cut and dry with the explanations during my briefing." I responded quickly.
"And what of dealing with the science department?" Genesis then asked.
"The science department?" I repeated. "I was told paperwork was taken care of for that. I don't exactly have to worry about a scientist showing up on the barrack doorstep to cart me away. That and I've got a helmet on my head, so it's not like they can tell anything is off with my magic."
"What is to stop them from observing your every movement?" Genesis suggested.
I paused to think about it.
"You told me that you have Mako running through your veins as I do, just as every SOLDIER does. It would draw a lot of attention if an undercover operative with no records of Mako exposure was able to keep up with their famed SOLDIER program." Genesis continued. "Searching logs for registered materia is also an easy feat. They are persistent, even if the difference is only slight."
I listened to him speak.
The Mako that was in my blood, while my body reacted differently to it, what else could it effect? I didn't have the durability of a SOLDIER, but something else was bound to be different in some way. "So tread with caution…" I concluded.
"That is the first lesson I will grant you: never let your guard down. I expect you to remember it." Turning away, Genesis headed for the door to the observation room while I stood rooted where I was. "You are dismissed for the day. You will be back at this exact room at five; any later and there will be consequences."
"Five in the evening?" I asked hopefully.
"Five in the morning." Genesis said curtly.
"Right." I said holding back a groan; I wasn't about to complain because I had to be used to it by now. I began to leave the room, following after Genesis. Things were going to be a bit more difficult; I would have to learn to use and rely on the sword if I wanted to safely move underneath Hojo's radar, but I also needed to keep myself in check. I needed to limit magic use.
"Brat, why are you favoring your right leg?"
"Hm?" I hummed absently.
"During our fight it was hard to not notice." Genesis continued, "And it is easy to tell a difference in your gait by merely listening to you walking." He whirled around on me, giving me a scrutinizing gaze. For a seventeen year old, Genesis' abilities of observation amazed me. The other SOLDIERs I encountered earlier didn't bat an eye and Angeal already knew. It made me wonder just how scary the three most elite SOLDIERs could be.
"Alright, alright!" I confessed. Tapping my fingers against my left leg, a metallic rattle sounded. "I take it that Angeal didn't mention this, did he? It's a brace for an injury. But don't worry, it don't feel it that much."
"A brace suggests something other than a wound inflicted by a simple Wutaian weapon." Genesis observed. "You were shot at, weren't you?"
"Yes." I answered bluntly.
"Your last assignment was a week ago, yet you are walking around with what seems to be nothing more than a slight limp."
"And it's not normal for people here?"
"What would be considered normal in your standards, Brat?"
I threw my hands up in the air in exasperation. "I honestly don't know! You're telling me that people can jump a few hundred feet out of a helicopter and not get injured, but recovery is slow? No, from what I learned, heights kill, and as for recovery…well, I'd never been shot before." I muttered the last part under my breath.
I would have rather not experienced getting shot, but it was too late now.
"Get some rest; it is quite apparent that you need it." Genesis then spoke. "But before that, I suggest you head for the mess hall before it closes. We'll work with materia for the week. After that we will do more with the sword."
"Huh?" I questioned the abrupt change in the conversation. "Really?"
"No matter what condition, it is never good to aggravate an injury. Do not think that simply because we are friends that things will be easy." He replied.
"No, I get the feeling that it makes things worse." I admitted thoughtfully. We walked back into the control room. Mog was still sleeping on the couch and I pursed my lips. "So," I started, "What about Mog? I don't think he'll be able to stay in the SOLDIER 3rd quarters. Do you think he would be fine in my apartment?"
I still needed to reach Vincent, but at this rate it would have to wait. I had to be patient.
"Trust me, I can take care of the moogle for you. He seems to have no qualms about a free supply of food." Genesis said sarcastically.
"If he gets fat—"
"—He won't." Genesis cut me off, a teasing smile on his lips.
"Hey, what was eating you up earlier?" I said noticing the change in his mood. "You seem a heck of a lot better now."
Genesis' smile dropped slightly.
"That's none of your concern." He said almost sternly. "Now, run along, Brat. I have some reading to do and it is late."
I glanced at the clock and my eyes widened.
"It hasn't been that long already!" I shouted in disbelief. A couple of hours had passed in an instant, and if the time on the clock was right, the sun was already set. I dashed over to the weapon cabinet and replaced the sword before bolting for the door. "See you later, Gen! Take good care of Mog!"
And without any other thought, I darted towards the stairs.
I did not want to go the night without food.
…
"Geez, cutting it a bit close, aren't you?" Abbott said as I plopped myself down into the seat across from her.
I made it to the mess hall with only seconds to spare; the line for food closed right as I walked out with my tray. Abbott, Kunsel, and Zack were sitting at the end of one of the long tables that covered the expanse of the SOLDIER mess hall. It was packed and filled with uniformed people chatting loudly amongst each other. From what I had just seen, I determined that the academy had nothing on this place; the food was a whole other quality of its own.
"No, not at all. I still got here in time, didn't I?" I answered jokingly. The three of them had already gone through most of the food on their trays when I started to eat.
"So what happened to you?" Kunsel asked curiously. "You look like you've been put through the wringer."
"Yeah, we were just talking about our lessons!" Abbott added cheerfully.
"Well, we sparred. It didn't exactly help that he was in a bad mood." I speculated before turning to Zack. "So, what was it like training with Angeal? Probably a little less hostile, I bet." I let out a small laugh at my own joke.
"Actually, it wasn't that bad." Zack answered sedately; it was clear just how exhausted the boy was. "Ended up giving me some sort of speech about honor."
I snorted.
"Angeal, Angeal, ever the role model." I hummed. "I was wondering how long it would take for him to be like that. I guess I found my answer. You'll learn a lot from him."
"Zack mentioned that you got Genesis Rhapsodos as your teacher." Kunsel stated in awe. "I still don't understand how you two got to be so lucky."
"Lucky?" I repeated skeptically. "Yeah, sure. You keep thinking that, Kunsel."
"I'm serious! Aren't you friends with Commander Rhapsodos? That's what you said earlier!" He pressed. "Him and Angeal—they're the best of the best second only to the General! War heroes; everybody knows them. How are you acting so casual about this?"
"Sometimes I guess I forget who I'm dealing with." I said pensively.
That was truth with Genesis and Angeal. They weren't the people I thought they were and, then again, nobody really was. The same could be said for people like Zack, and Cloud, and Tseng, and even Reno. It was actually scary to think of how comfortable I was with a young man who was supposed to become the bad guy.
"So you are friends with the Commander?" Abbott added in question.
"Yeah, I am, but it won't make it any bit easier for me…In fact, maybe it just makes it twenty times worse." I answered thoughtfully.
"You're probably just biased." Abbott said trying to wave off my comment. Turning to Zack, she continued speaking. "Zack, overall, what's your rating for your mentor?"
"Ten out of Ten." Zack pitched without a second thought.
"You see?" Kunsel said pointedly.
"Oh yeah," Zack spoke up again, his voice turning somewhat serious. "Sibyl, you still haven't told us why you're here. I thought you were with the Investigation sector. What happened with that?"
And now the conversation had turned.
"Yeah, aren't you supposed to be a Turk? One of the guys in the black suits?" Abbott asked.
"You did say that you'd explain everything to us earlier." Kunsel added.
"Slow down," I said calmly. Turning my head, I glanced around; thankfully the rest of the mess hall was filled to the brim with noise, from the sound of trays clattering to the mindless chatter of other SOLDIERs. Nobody seemed to be within earshot. Relaxing my shoulders, I continued speaking. "I guess I did say that, didn't I? Well, about the Turks…" I hesitated.
Tseng's words from earlier rang in my mind: "Liabilities" he said.
And I began to wonder just how necessary it was to include them in all of this.
"You see…I kind of got kicked out of it." I finally responded.
It wasn't.
Leaning forward, I rested my elbow on the table and cradled my cheek in my hand, trying not to look at them. Asking myself then and there, I realized one other fact. The people here were not who I thought them to be; I didn't know them and they weren't game characters. I was perfectly fine with Genesis and Angeal knowing that, but what about Zack and Kunsel and Abbott?
They were still just kids.
"They decided I wasn't what they were looking for. One of my first missions didn't exactly end well…They thought this would be a better fit." I finished quietly.
Sounded convincing enough and that would be the end of it. Knowing would probably just put them in unnecessary danger, and I had enough to deal with already. In the long run, none of it really mattered.
Kunsel visibly winced at my words. In his mind, he probably chalked it up to the injuries he had seen a few days ago.
"That sucks." Abbott said dryly.
Zack was the only one who responded differently though. "What!?" he asked in disbelief. "You mean the Investigation Sector can actually do something like that? But…that doesn't seem like they would work like that. Man, I'm sorry." The expression on Zack's face seemed weird for a split second, but maybe I was imagining it.
Maybe there was something yet in Zack's personality that resembled the Zack Fair I knew of.
"It's fine. I at least get to keep my name." I joked halfheartedly.
My response only caused Zack to frown.
"No, that's just it. Once you become a member of the Turks, the only way out is by a body bag. Wasn't that the saying?" Zack insisted.
"Huh?"
I looked at Zack blankly and Abbott and Kunsel had the same idea. Where that sentence came from, I hadn't a clue. Zack fidgeted under our gaze, but he had asked that question in all seriousness. "Where did you hear something like that?" Abbott was the first to speak. "And here I thought you were from some place in the middle of the country—even I haven't heard that one!"
"Abbott's got a point. Besides, Sibyl is still here, isn't she?" Kunsel inquired.
"I would hope so." I answered rhetorically. "So what, am I on some kind of secret hit-list now?" My expression lightened, but I was confused. Where had Zack learned that? It was very unusual for him to say—something I would've put past him.
Zack's eyes widened and he shook his head, the usual grin appearing on his face. "Hey, I swear I'm not making this up! The other cadets in the academy mentioned something like that." He whined defensively.
"Heh. So is that why you didn't say anything back at the diner?" Kunsel asked.
"Wait, what diner? Are you talking about the one we went to in the slums?" I voiced my thoughts.
"That explains it!" Kunsel answered, a light bulb going off.
"You guys still need to give me the details about that!" Abbott protested.
Before anyone else could say anything, Zack interrupted with a loud yawn. That's when I realized just how tired I was. "Can we save it for tomorrow? Come to think of it, Angeal said I had to train with him in the morning." Zack mentioned.
"You too, huh?" Kunsel commented.
"Maybe we all do?" I asked cautiously. The conversation had spiraled in a weird direction, but it was just another long day. I needed to stop reading into the little details; paranoia was not working to be a good outfit for me, no matter what my former Turk mentor tried drilling into my head.
My eyes flitted to Abbott.
"Yeah, seven am sharp." She announced. "At least I can get breakfast."
"I think this is the start to something great!" Kunsel said enthusiastically. "Who knows, maybe we'll all become renowned SOLDIERs some day?"
I reluctantly got up from my seat. It was yet the beginning of another turn of events in my life, and I could only wait and see where it would lead. The one thing I could hope for was to not die by Genesis' hand any time soon, let alone the science department. I kind of envied the three souls before me. They didn't have anything to worry about yet, and hopefully they wouldn't have to.
"Lucky." I grumbled.
Author's Note: It has been a while, yet again. What can I say? There's been a lot that I've been busy with, lots of exams and plenty of homework included. It can also be pretty daunting to try and write chapters with huge word counts too. But I have done it! At this rate, I hope that I can at least update once a month (and hopefully the errors in this chapter are minimal). Thank you so much to all of my readers out there for your patience!And as per the usual, feel free to leave me any reviews you want! All of it is greatly appreciated and I can't tell you all how much it means to me!
Until next time,
~BlueCampanula